The City of Mississauga, located within the greater Toronto area, is the first Canadian municipality to develop a life sciences strategy dedicated to shaping the growth and development of this strong sector. Over the next five years, the City of Mississauga is committed to developing an ecosystem dedicated to cultivating and nurturing the commercialization of life sciences innovations in the Canadian market.The City is building on its existing base by establishing a suite of services and infrastructure and implementing a series of initiatives tailored to promote the growth of life sciences companies in Mississauga.The end goal will to become a leading destination for commercialization in Canada.
Mississauga’s life sciences cluster has shown significant growth over the past 10 years. With over 500 companies employing over 24,000 people, Mississauga continues to be the second largest life sciences cluster in Canada by employment.Over the past decade, the sector has grown significantly with a growth of 20% in terms of the number of life sciences companies, and 9% for total employment.
Today, Mississauga’s life sciences cluster has evolved from a pharmaceutical hub, often termed “Pill Hill”, to a diverse cluster of pharma, biotech, medical devices and other supplier organizations. This diversity strengthens the cluster and will significantly impact future development and growth not just in Mississauga but Canada wide. Mississauga’s life sciences companies have created an ecosystem that supports the advancement of innovation and future talent for the industry.
With established services and solid infrastructure in place, Mississauga is an ideal location for U.S. and international companies who are in the late stages of development that want access into the Canadian market for distribution of their products, technologies and services.The City of Mississauga’s Economic Development Office is also well equipped to help service companies when making the move to Mississauga.The Office offers a wide range of services from site location assistance, statistical data and industry information, to providing access to industry networks and problem solving, all of which provide a soft landing for new companies.
There are a lot of exciting initiatives and opportunities underway throughout the City that will support the growth and prosperity of the life sciences community and ideal for commercialization of products. Along the shores of Lake Ontario, the City has a dedicated 177- acre brownfield site to transform to a mixed-use community with a variety of residential building types, parkland, cultural and employment uses, with buildings featuring environmentally sustainable designs. This development offers a unique opportunity for the
City to develop a geographical concentration of life science companies and supporting services to help build a commercialization hub that is accessible and well connected.
Another great infrastructure on the horizon is the Light Rail Transit Project, running through the heart of the city connecting Mississauga to surrounding regions. This 20 kilometre transit line will drive economic growth, reduce travel and connection times, and improve the quality of life in the community. Scheduled for completion in 2022, this integrated transit system will provide greater mobility and access to goods and services.
With the continuous partnership and collaboration of the life sciences cluster, Mississauga is a proven location for life sciences companies to start, commercialize and grow their business. With a friendly, pro- business culture and an extensive bio-network across the Greater Toronto Region, Mississauga’s life sciences cluster will continue to be a proactive leader in Canada.
